CARITAS Philippines lamented on Tuesday, April 7, 2026, the continued hardships being experienced by Filipinos amid the ongoing crisis in the Middle East.
In a statement, the humanitarian arm of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) pointed how the situation "still feels like Good Friday" despite the Catholic Church having recently celebrated Easter Sunday.
"War and conflict continue to threaten peace, including tensions in the Middle East that drive rising oil prices and deepen global uncertainty," said Caritas Philippines.
"Families struggle with increasing costs of fuel, food, and electricity. Transport workers, farmers, and fisherfolk labor daily just to survive," it added.
Because of this, Caritas Philippines called for better forms of assistance to Filipinos affected by the crisis in the Middle East.
It called on Church, government, business, and civil society organizations to adopt long term programs to assist disadvantaged individuals and families.
"Let us move beyond short-term humanitarian aids and fixes toward long term justice," said the group.
"Let us form communities that truly care for one another, for active transformation, and for creation," added Caritas Philippines.
It was back in February 28 when the war between the United States and Israel and Iran began, and has since spread across different Middle East nations.
The Middle East war has since resulted in a surge in the prices of fuel as well as other basic commodities and services in the Philippines. (Anton Banal/SunStar Philippines)